The present invention is generally related to diving and swimming equipment or appliances, such as flippers, masks, goggles and the like having a seat adapted to be engaged by or onto a part of the user""s body (foot-face).
More particularly, the invention is directed to a back strap for such diving equipment of the type including a substantially elastic band whose ends are connected to respective attachment members to be fastened to the equipment, at opposite sides of said seat, and at least one of which is provided with adjustment means to vary the length of the strap.
Straps of the above-referenced type are known, for instance, from Italian Utility Model n. 197.555 in the name of the same Applicant, and from U.S. Pat. No. 4,607,398. In both cases the attachment members of the strap, which are permanently fastened to the diving equipment structure, are provided with an adjustment device formed by a swinging latching lever which is normally kept, under the action of a spring, in engagement with latch teeth formed along the corresponding strap end, which is turned around a pin carried by the body of the attachment member.
According to this solution, adjusting the strap length is comfortable and easy but, particularly as far as flippers are concerned, fitting and removal maybe remarkably laborious and tiring. Namely, removal requires lengthening the strap at one or both ends and then disengagement thereof from the user""s heel by sliding the strap beyond the foot.
In order to overcome this drawback, U.S. Pat. No. 4,795,385 provides that each attachment member has a buckle construction, with a stationary part permanently coupled with a respective side of the flipper and a movable part carrying the adjustment device, which can be connected to each other to perform quick opening and closing of the strap. This snap-fit system corresponds to that of a usual buckle employed for longtimes various applications, and release of which requires elastically pushing the two latch levers of the movable part towards each other, using at least two fingers of the user""s hand, so as to perform disengagement thereof from the stationary part. Considering the encumbrance of the buckle as a whole, the size of the latching lever of each strap adjustment system is necessarily limited, whereby the length of the respective lever arm through which release of the strap can be operated is consequently limited. Accordingly, operation of the adjustment levers may be difficult and require a remarkable effort.
Even opening of the buckle, besides necessarily requiring a manual intervention, is uncomfortable and involves a certain effort, removing to the relatively advanced position of these buckles relative to the user""s foot. This inconvenience is particularly critical in connection with unwearing flippers by a diver equipped with a full diving gear.
The object of the present invention is to overcome the above drawbacks, and namely to provide a back strap of the above-referenced type whose opening and quick closing are made more comfortable and convenient, with a minimum effort, and by means of a construction which does not negatively affect functionality of the adjustment means of the strap length.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a back strap of the above-referenced type whose buckle means for performing opening and closing thereof are constructively simple, functional and inexpensive.
Another object of the invention is to provide a back strap of the above-referenced type which, particularly as far as application to a flipper is concerned, does not necessarily require a manual intervention for opening thereof.
A further object of the invention is to provide a back strap of the above-referenced type which, can in the open position of the buckle means, remains permanently anchored to the diving equipment at both end thereof, thus preventing any risks of accidental loss.
These and further objects are achieved, according to the invention, by virtue of the fact that an adjustable back strap for diving and swimming equipment of the type set-forth at the beginning is primarily characterized in that it is formed by two distinct and separate strap sections, each of which is connected at one end to a respective attachment member, and that said buckle means are applied to the ends of said two strap sections opposite to the respective attachment members.
The buckle means may comprise in practice a single buckle having quick opening and closing performance, which is preferably arranged substantially in the central area of the strap. Accordingly the two strap sections have a symmetrical configuration; alternatively, asymmetrical arrangements may also be contemplated, locating the buckle in a lateral area of the strap.
According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, a relatively soft bearing element is associated to the buckle to lay against an adjacent part of the user""s body.
Preferably the buckle comprises at least a female coupling member and a male coupling member permanently anchored to the one and, respectively, to the other strap section, these male and female coupling members being snap engageable with each other upon mutual engagement thereof along a first direction, and being disengageable from each other following application from outside of a thrust along a second direction perpendicular to the first direction.
To such effect, the buckle conveniently comprises a movable release member separated from said male and female coupling members and elastically displaceable from an inoperative position towards an operative position to release said male coupling member relative to said female coupling member along said second direction.
By virtue of the above features, the back strap according to the invention provides the following advantages:
operation of the adjustment means to vary the strap length is extremely easy: in order to shorten the strap and increase the retaining force thereof, it is sufficient to pull the two tails thereof coming out from the attachment members incorporating the adjustment means; to lengthen the strap and thus decrease its retaining force, it is sufficient to operate the latch levers of the adjustment means which, due to a longer lever arm thereof, are particularly functional;
opening of the strap is particularly comfortable, can be performed by a single finger of the user""s hand and, due to the rear positioning of the buckle, the user does not have to elongate excessively his arm;
particularly as far as application of the back strap to a flipper is concerned, opening thereof can be easily and conveniently carried out by the heel or the sole of the other foot, either standing on a boat or wharf, or staying in the water;
wearing again the equipment is easy, without any need of modifying the adjustment of the strap length: in this case it is in fact sufficient to close again the buckle behind the corresponding part of the user""s body.
The strap according to the invention is applicable in a particularly advantageous way to flippers, but can be equally usefully employed in the case of other diving and swimming equipment, such as masks and goggles.